Beneficial effects of allopurinol on glutathione levels and glutathione peroxidase activity in rat ischaemic acute renal failure

The protective effect of allopurinol, an inhibitor of the enzyme, xanthine oxidase, against the renal ischaemia-reperfusion of the rat was investigated. Rats were subjected to renal ischaemia by clamping of the left renal artery and vein for 45 min, and were then reperfused for 24 h; these animals were randomized to receive either saline (n = 10) or allopurinol (n = 10) at a dose of 50 mg/kg bolus intraperitoneally 5 min before reperfusion. The control group comprised seven healthy rats not exposed to ischaemia or reperfusion. The blood urea nitrogen and plasma creatinine levels were increased in the allopurinol group, but the increase was less than that in the placebo group, compared with the controls. The kidney glutathione level was significantly reduced in the placebo group but not in the allopurinol group compared with the controls. The glutathione peroxidase activity in the kidney tissues was reduced more than two-fold in the placebo group compared with the controls, but the reduction in glutathione peroxidase was considerably less in the allopurinol group. Renal tissue lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate amino-transferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase activities were reduced almost two-fold in the placebo group, but allopurinol treatment maintained these enzyme activities close to the control activities. These results provide evidence that allopurinol treatment may have beneficial effects on antioxidant defences against ischaemia-reperfusion injury of rat kidneys.